Giving the Commonwealth’s high school league the benefit of the doubt its possible they thought they acted in a way that encouraged gender diversity in sports with the adoption of the state’s first transgender high school athletic policy…or it could have been a preemptive strike to ensure that not one transgender student will ever play sports in Virginia.

Ether way the new policy which was passed 27-0, requires the exclusion of all teenage transgender athletes except the ones who have undergone sexual reassignment surgery and are undergoing hormone-replacement therapy (HRT).

The policy which requires surgical modifications of adolescents makes no distinction between male to female (MTF) and female to male (FTM) athletes.

The following is the draft that was presented to the Virginia High School executive committee Wednesday according to ABC 13 WEVC. It is unknown if there were any changes.

VHSL rules and regulations allow transgender student athlete participation under the following conditions:

A student-athlete will compete in the gender of their birth certificate unless they have undergone sex reassignment.

B. A student athlete who has undergone sex reassignment is eligible to compete in the reassigned gender when:

The student athlete has undergone sex reassignment before puberty, OR

The student athlete has undergone sex reassignment after puberty under all of the following conditions:

a. Surgical anatomical changes have been completed, including external genitalia changes and gonadectomy.

b. Hormonal therapy appropriate for the assigned sex has been administered in a verifiable manner and for a sufficient length of time to minimize gender‐related advantages in sports competition.

c. If a student-athlete stops taking hormonal treatment, they will be required to participate in the sport consistent with their birth gender.

C. A student athlete seeking to participate as a result of sex reassignment must access the VHSL eligibility appeals process.

Note: VHSL honors and respects all individuals based on gender, race, sexual orientation and creed while striving to provide safe and equitable competition.

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The touchstone for transgender inclusion in high school athletics is AB 1266.

“(f) A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

WPATH treatment of adolescents displaying gender dysphoria (pg. 178)“Irreversible Interventions:Genital surgery should not be carried out until(i) patients reach the legal age of majority to
give consent for medical procedures in a given country and (ii) patients have lived continuously for at least 12 months in the gender role that is congruent with their gender identity. The age threshold should be seen as a minimum criterion and not an indication in and of itself for active intervention.”

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